szitar



Oct. 19, 1954 J. E. szlTAR, JR v 2,692,112

` FUEL DRAIN VALVE WITH DETENT AND DETENT, RELEASE Filed March 2l, 1951IN V EN TOR.

Patented Oct. 19, l1954 UNITED STAT ATENT OFFICE FUEL DRAIN VALVE WITHDETENT AND DETENT RELEASE `liohn E. Szitar, Jr., Cleveland, Ohio,assignor to The Weatherhead Company, Cleveland, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio 3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to valves and more particularly to valvesparticularly suitable for use as drain cocks on fuel tanks or the like.

In many drain cock installations such as in air-land vehicles, it isdesired that drain cocks be installed which offer minimum restriction offlow and which can be vreadily opened and closed with one hand withoutthe use of special tools and without need for the Valve to be clearlyvisible or readily accessible. It is also desirable that such draincocks have no projecting parts such as screw-threaded nipples which aresubject to breakage and in case of aircraft installations causeobjectionable aerodynamic drag, particularly at the high speeds nowattainable by aircraft.

The drain cock of this invention meets the aforesaid requirements. Itprovides for rapid discharge. Any projecting parts are sturdy and notreadily damaged and the valve can be opened by hand or, in some forms,by the use of any simple tool such as a screw-driver or a rod and can beclosed by a simple pressure of the thumb or the fingers of the user.Briefly, this is accomplished in the preferred fo-rm of the invention byproviding a valve body carrying a sliding valve member Which has apassageway therethrough that is opened and closed by sliding the valvemember in the body. There are detent means which automatically hold thevalve open when it is pushed open manually, and which can be releasedWithout tools by simply applying thumb or finger pressure on a part ofthe detent mechamsm.

The manner in which these advantages may be obtained will be apparent inthe following detailed description with my preferred embodiment of theinvention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section like Fig. 2 with the valve open;

Fig. 40,-' is a fragmentary enlargement view showing the detent means inposition to hold the valve open;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlargement view showing how the detent meansmay be released;

Fig. 6 shows a modified form of the invention; and,

Figs. '7 and 8 show still another form with the valve respectively inits closed and open positions.

The valve body, indicated generally at I0, has an axial bore II and aflange I2 is formed at the axially inner end thereof to provide a valveseat I3. Valve member I4 is slidable in the valve body and is in theform of an axial sleeve having a fluid passageway I6 and an inner or endwall I1. An O-ring seal I8 is mounted on member I4 for co-operation withthe valve seat I3. A plurality of radial ports I9 penetrate the sideWall of the valve member and provide for draining the tank or vessel towhich the valve is attached. Mounted on the valve member I4 is a sleeve2| permanently attached thereto by a spinning or brazing operation. Mainvalve spring 22 extends between the body flange I2 and the base of thesleeve 2| tending to move the valve member I4 axially outwardly to closethe valve.

The detent mechanism is in the form of a groove 23 in the valve bodyopening into the bore I I therein and having a shoulder portion 24preferably tapered facing towards the valve seat, which is towards theaxially inner end of the valve. The valve member sleeve 2l has acornplementary shoulder 26 preferably of rounded profile and disposed inopposition to body shoulder 24. Four detent members 21 preferably in theform of hardened steel balls are formed for co-operation with the twoshoulders to hold the valve open.

In order to insure that the valve will remain open and to provide forthe closing of the valve, a sleeve 28 is slidably mounted in the bore IIof the valve body and is formed with apertures 2S that loosely receivethe balls 2l. A detent spring 3| extends between the flange I2 on theinner end of the body and the opposed end of the sleeve 28.

In a fluid tank or similar installation, the body is threaded as at 32and has a wrench-receiving portion 33 as well as a gasket-mating flangeshown at 34. With the Valve in its closed position (seen in Fig. 2) thedimensions of the parts are such that the sleeve 2l rides freely pastthe balls lZ'I, which are nolw disposed in the deepest portion of therecess 23 in the valve body. In the form of the invention beingdescribed, sleeve 2B is proportioned, as is valve member I4, so thatwhen the valve is closed neither project axially outwardly past theprotecting body` wrenchreceiving portion I0.

When it is desired to drain the tank or vessel to which the valve isfitted, the operator need merely apply a screw driver or similar toolinto the drain passage I6 in the valve member and push the valve openuntil the shoulder 26 moves axially inwardly past the shoulder 24 at thebody recess. At this point, spring 3| of the detent sleeve forces theballs 21 between the opposed body and valve member shoulders 24 and 25respectively, and the relative strengths of the main valve spring 22 andthe detent spring 3| are so arranged that the valve will remain in itsopen position. In the construction sho-Wn, the valve stays open becauseany resultant force of the main Valve spring'22, as reected in thecam-ming action ofthe valve member shoulder 26 against the balls 27tending to move the balls axially and radially into the deeper portionof recess 23, is overcome by the force of detent spring 3l which holdsthe balls against axial motion so that the balls and shoulder keep thevalve open.

It will be noted in Fig. 4 that the end of sleeve 28 now projectsslightly past the body portion at the lower or outer end of the valve.When it is desired to close the valve, sleeve 28 is merely pressedaxially inwardly overcoming the tension of the detent spring 3| andforcing the balls axially inwardly whereupon the lwedge action of theshoulder 26 moves the balls 2l radially outwardly into the deeper zoneof recess 23 in the body. When the balls are forced by operating sleeve28 to the point illustrated in Fig. 5, the valve member is freed andsnaps closed under action of the main valve spring. lIhus, it can beseen that I have provided a Valve which can be opened by the simplestand most available of tools and which can be closed without any tools.

The form of the invention shown in Fig. 6 has a Imode of operation likethat of the form just described except that the detent sleeve 28a isanged as at 35 to provide a greater area for manipulation b-y manualthumb o-r finger pressure.

In the form shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the body Illa is somewhat moreelongated, the detent sleeve 28h is flanged as at 35a (like the form ofFig. 6) and furthermore, valve member la. is extended as at 3B. Thelatter construction eliminates need for use of a rod or screw driver foropening the valve.

The valve can be operated out of sight of the operator, who need only bysense of touch push on the valve member to open it and on the releasingsleeve to close it. It will be noted that the valve can be readilyoperated at arms length by one hand and can be very quickly opened andclosed.

Having completed a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention so that others skilled in the art may be able tounderstand and practice the same, I state that what I desire to secureby Letters Patent is not limited by said preferred embodiment but ratheris defined in what is claimed.

What is claimed is:

l. A valve comprising a body having a bore therethrough, a valve seat onsaid body, a valve member slidable in said bore and having closure meansfor engaging said seat, a valve spring tending to move said valve memberaxially outwardly in said bore to close said valve, a recess in saidbody opening into said bore and having an inclined shoulder portion onthe axial outer side of said recess', said valve member having acylindrical portion and a shoulder portion facing generally the oppositedirection from the direction said body shoulder portion faces, a detentin said recess for engaging said shoulder portions to retain the valveopen, axially slidable means for moving said detent to clear one of saidshoulder portions to permit said spring to close the valve, and a secondspring urging said detent against said body shoulder portion, theincline of said inclined shoulder portion of said body being such thatwhen the detent is in said recess of the body and engaging saidcylindrical portion said valve. spring urges the valve member intoengagement with said valve seat.

2. A valve comprising a body having a bore therethrough, a valve seat onsaid body, a valve lmember slidable in said bore and having closuremeans for engaging said seat, a spring tending to move said valve memberaxially outwardly in said bore to close said valve, an inclined recessin said body opening into said bore and having av shoulder portion onthe axial outer side of said recess, said valve member having acylindrical portion and a shoulder portion facing generally the oppositedirection from the direction said other shoulder portionf faces, a balldetent in said recess. for engaging said shoulder portions to retain thevalve open, an axially slidable sleeve between said valve member andbody and apertured to receive said ball, said sleeve projecting past theaxially outer end of said Valve with the Valve open to facilitate movingsaid detent to clear one of'said shoulder portions and thus permit saidspring to close the valve, and a second spring extending between saidbody and sleeve for urging said ball against said body shoulder portion,the incline of said inclined shoulder portion of said body being suchthat when the detent is in said recess of the body and engaging saidcylindrical portion said valve spring urges the valve member intoengagement with said valve seat.

3. A valve comprising a body having a bore therethrough, a valve `seaton said body, a valve member slidable in said bore and having closuremeans for engaging saidy seat, a valve spring tending to move said valveAmember axially outwardly in said bore to close said valve, a recess insaid body opening into said bore and having an inclined shoulder portionon the axial outer side of said recess, said valve member having ashoulder portion facing generally the opposite direction from thedirection said body shoulder portion faces, av detent in said recess forengaging said shoulder portions to retain the valve open, the axialforce of said valve spring causing said shoulder portion on said valvemember to cam said detent radially outward, axially slidable means formoving said detent to clear one of said shoulder portions to permit saidspring to close the valve, and a second spring urging said detentagainst said body shoulder portion, said second spring being strongenough to hold said detent between said shoulders against the action ofsaid valve spring.

References Cited inthe i'lle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,301,577 La Valley Apr. 22, 1919 1,624,130 Beggs Apr. 12,1927 2,429,202 Estill Oct. 2l, 1947 2,463,253 Earle Mar. 1, 19492,506,722 Kuehn May 9, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS lNumber Country Date 439,602Great Britain 1935

